What factors do you consider before clicking the 'bid' button on Ebay?

1. Is the pipe described accurately?

2. Is the stamping quoted?

3. Are there multiple pictures showing all aspects of the pipe?

4. Is the initial price reasonable?

5. Is this a pipe I'm specifically interested in? (Should be #1, I guess.)

6. Is the current bid price reasonable?

I also post my maximum price, based on what I've seen before for this line, pipe, style, etc. If I lose, so be it. I won't get into bidding wars (anymore).

Psytek pretty much covered it. :)

"The heart and soul of piping is smoking good tobacco".

I consider the fact that I can't get to inspect the briar personally. After having turned that around in my head a couple of times I generally decide to leave eBay well alone. I can't seem to get past the idea of having to hold the pipe in my hand before I put down any amount of cash.

I look at the seller's feedback and for good clear pictures that show many different angles.

For me, I have to find a pipe that has a name I am looking for in a shape that I like.  Due to my limited income (being the Pastor of a small Church that is rebuilding after hurricane Rita), the price is of great importance to me.  After all of these considerations, I check feedback.  If the seller has enough questionable feedback, I keep looking.

Jay 

Avoid buying from Europe! It takes waaay tooo long!

Avoid paying more than $7.00 to ship a pipe!

Avoid buying a "lot" of pipes.It's mostly junk packaged up with a couple of higer end pieces!

Avoid "grainy" photos! If you're spending good money insist on good pics!

There's a few sellers with piss poor reputations for jacking up their own bids! I never buy anything from these folks!

Best,

D.Perry

The Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston... "Keeping The Smoking Lamp Lit Since 1991" www.shpcboston.org

Yo, Dock.  Who are these dishonest ebayers who shill their own bids???  You would do many of us a great service if you told us who they are.  These folks need to be avoided.  You can PM with this info, so as not to start any controversy on the forums...

Jay 

I think that my rule of thumb on Ebay has always been to buy pipes from people who smoke pipes.  I don't like buying from the re-sellers who don't know anything about pipes.  It isn't that they would intentionally sell you something bad, but rather they don't know to look for the right things.  I also like to buy from well known e-tailer's Ebay side.  This ensures the quality that I expect from the E-tailer with some of the aspects of savings found on Ebay.  I have not ventured much into buying the very low cost pipes on Ebay.  I just feel like I would not smoke them.  I don't seem to find myself needing anything cheaper than the $30 stanwell type estates that can be found at frenchy's and deadmanspipes etc.
cheers,
Josh

Hi Folks,

Always make sure the shipping cost is reasonable...not a way of padding profit.  Just my 2cents.

steve

First consideration is brand.
second is shape.
third is sellers description and photo(s).
Lastly is the seller. There are a couple I won't do business with if they offered a "Buy it Now" Bang for $1.00.

Well, as of today, Ebay is pretty much off my list since many of us have been forced to be in "beta" test group. Since this new version no longer allows us to save "favorite categories," I am really not interested in everytime having to go to the main page, go to collectibles, then... What do they think, by seeing other categories I'll feel compelled to buy something else? Idiots! Greed, just corporate greed. However, I use to look for those auctions that would say something like, "five pipes," without specifics. Then I would really analyze the pics, I might even download the pics to really see what was there. Yea, one might get burned, but for 10-20 bucks, interesting. My best find was in a group of three pipes which the seller really did not describe well. To make a long-story short, the lot cost me $21.79 and I ended up with a Boswell Giant smooth freehand, (no carvings), that is 4 inches tall, 2 and a half inches across the bowl, 9 and a half inches long. Great armchair pipe. A bowl will last most of the weekend, lol. By the way, these pipes new, start at $400.00 plus

Don't get flustered at ebay's marketing ... do a new search for whatever keywords you like in any category you choose then save the search having it email you whenever new items meet your criteria. I do it all the time. Super easy way to use ebay. I've won many items this way that I might have missed because I didn't know they were there. For example, I play Advanced Squad Leader (WWII Simulation War Game). I'm collecting all the titles in the set which should take me over a year to do. Well, there was one in particular that I wanted and decided it was time to get off my butt about buying it. I set up a saved search and found one shortly after the seller listed it. The guy didn't know what he had and listed it with a (low) buy now price of $150 ... I scoffed it so fast there was smoke rising from the keyboard ( http://cgi.ebay.com/... ). Heres one that just finished selling this past week ... notice the price when it goes through the full auction process ( http://cgi.ebay.com/... ). Oh yeah, saved searches can be super helpful.

I personally buy many high grade estate pipes on e-bay and on the various websites that specialize in them. I "flat out" WON'T buy a used pipe with major rim darkening/damage or one with major discoloration or deep toothmarks on the stem. Outside of that,I'll buy the pipe if (A)It's a brand that I've wanted to try (B)It's by a carver who's pipes I collect*Kurt Balleby* (C) It's a certain shape or finish that I collect *cumberland stems*(D)It's an attractive pipe and the bidding is low....

Best,
D.J.